Answers In Bible

Tag: Matthew 5

  • What Is Righteousness in the Bible?

    What Is Righteousness in the Bible?

    Righteousness is one of the most frequent words in the Bible, yet it’s rarely stopped and defined outright. Scripture uses it two ways at once: a right standing with God that a person receives, and a right way of living that a person practices. Understanding both sides is the key to what the Bible actually means by the word.

    What Does “Righteousness” Mean in the Bible?

    The Hebrew words behind “righteousness” in the Old Testament, tsedeq and tsedaqah, carry the sense of rightness, straightness, or conformity to a standard. The Greek word in the New Testament, dikaiosyne, carries a similar legal and moral weight, meaning what is just, right, or in proper order. At its root, biblical righteousness is about being rightly aligned, rightly related to God, and rightly conducted toward others. It isn’t primarily a feeling. It’s a state of being in right standing, and a pattern of doing what is right because of that standing.

    Righteousness as a Gift Received by Faith

    The Bible’s clearest starting point for righteousness is that it is something God gives, not something a person earns by being good enough. Genesis 15:6 says of Abraham, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Abraham didn’t achieve righteousness through his own record. He believed God, and God credited righteousness to his account. Paul builds directly on this in Romans, writing that “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ” comes “unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Romans 3:22), since “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Paul puts it even more directly in 2 Corinthians 5:21, saying Christ was made “to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” In this sense, righteousness is a gift exchanged at the point of faith, not a wage earned over a lifetime.

    Righteousness as a Way of Living

    The Bible also uses righteousness to describe a visible, practiced way of life, not just a legal standing. Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6), describing a hunger that shapes daily choices. Proverbs 21:21 promises that “he that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour,” treating it as something actively pursued. John writes plainly that “he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7), linking the label directly to the doing. Scripture holds both truths together rather than choosing one: righteousness is received as a gift through faith, and it is also lived out, visibly, over time. A faith that never produces a changed life and a life of effort that never rests on God’s gift both miss what the Bible is describing. (Our article on What Does Faith Without Works Mean? looks closely at how faith and action fit together.)

    Key Bible Verses

    Romans 3:22
    “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.”

    2 Corinthians 5:21
    “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

    Matthew 5:6
    “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is righteousness the same thing as being sinless?

    Not exactly. Righteousness received through faith is credited immediately, the way it was for Abraham, but living it out is described throughout scripture as an ongoing process, not an instant state of perfection. Someone can be declared righteous through faith in Christ while still growing in how consistently that righteousness shows up in daily life.

    How can someone become righteous according to the Bible?

    Scripture points to faith in Jesus Christ as the starting point, the same faith credited to Abraham and described in Romans 3:22. Our article How Can I Be Saved According to the Bible? walks through this in more depth.

    Related Bible Topics

    How Can I Be Saved According to the Bible? | What Does the Bible Say About Sin? | What Does Faith Without Works Mean?

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  • Blessed Are the Meek | Matthew 5:5

    Blessed Are the Meek | Matthew 5:5

    “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5, NKJV). Meekness isn’t weakness. It’s strength held under control, power that chooses restraint rather than force.

    The promise attached, inheriting the earth, runs counter to how inheritance usually seems to work, going to the aggressive and assertive rather than the meek.

    This is worth remembering in a culture that often rewards force and self-assertion above restraint. Jesus’ math runs differently.

    Where might restrained strength, meekness rather than force, actually serve you better in a current situation than pushing your way forward would?

  • What Does the Bible Call a Fool?

    What Does the Bible Call a Fool?

    In the Bible, a fool is not someone who lacks intelligence. A fool is someone who rejects God and refuses wisdom. Scripture uses the word “fool” dozens of times, mostly in Psalms and Proverbs, and it almost never describes a person’s IQ. It describes a moral and spiritual posture: a heart that has decided, one way or another, to live as though God and His instruction don’t matter. Here’s what the Bible actually says a fool is, and how it tells that fool apart from the wise.

    What Does the Bible Mean by “Fool”?

    The clearest definition comes from Psalm 14:1: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good” (Psalm 14:1 KJV). Notice where the denial happens: “in his heart,” not in a classroom or a debate. This isn’t a person who has carefully reasoned their way to atheism. It’s a person who has decided, at the level of desire and will, to live as though they answer to no one. The behavior described right after (corruption, abominable works) flows out of that decision rather than causing it.

    Proverbs 1:7 makes the contrast explicit: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7 KJV). In the Bible’s own vocabulary, wisdom starts with reverence for God. A fool, by definition, is someone who has skipped that starting point and despises being taught otherwise. That’s why the book of Proverbs can describe a fool as someone who does plenty of “thinking” while still being a fool. The problem was never a lack of ability. It’s an unwillingness to submit that ability to God.

    What Are the Marks of a Fool in Proverbs?

    Proverbs spends far more time describing what a fool does than defining the word abstractly, and the pattern is consistent. A fool is overconfident in his own judgment: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15 KJV). A fool can’t hold anything back: “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards” (Proverbs 29:11 KJV). And a fool repeats the same mistakes without learning from them: “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly” (Proverbs 26:11 KJV) — an unflattering image on purpose, meant to show how pointless and self-defeating that repetition really is.

    Put together, these verses describe someone who won’t take advice, can’t control his own words, and keeps returning to the same failures. None of that requires low intelligence. If anything, Proverbs assumes a fool has plenty of native ability; the tragedy is watching that ability spent on rejecting counsel instead of receiving it.

    The Fool and the Wise: A Deliberate Contrast

    Proverbs almost never mentions a fool without setting a wise person right next to him. That’s not an accident of style. The book is written as an ongoing invitation, not a permanent verdict — it keeps calling the “simple” and even the foolish toward wisdom rather than writing them off. “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding” (Proverbs 9:6 KJV) is addressed to someone still capable of choosing differently. The Bible treats folly as a path a person is walking, not a fixed identity stamped on them forever. The same fear of the Lord that a fool despises in Proverbs 1:7 is offered to that same person as the doorway back to wisdom.

    Key Bible Verses

    Psalm 14:1
    “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (KJV)

    Proverbs 1:7
    “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (KJV)

    Proverbs 26:11
    “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” (KJV)

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is it a sin to call someone a fool?

    Jesus warned specifically against this in Matthew 5:22: “whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22 KJV). The Bible’s own descriptions of folly are about a moral condition, not an insult to throw at someone in anger. Naming folly as a pattern of rejecting God is different from using “fool” as a contemptuous label for a person.

    Can a fool become wise, according to the Bible?

    Yes. Proverbs repeatedly invites the foolish and the “simple” to change course: “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding” (Proverbs 9:6 KJV). Scripture treats folly as a path someone is on, not a permanent label, and the same fear of the Lord that opens the door to wisdom (Proverbs 1:7) is available to anyone willing to turn toward it.

    Related Bible Topics

    Who Was the Wisest Person in the Bible? | Good Discussion Questions to Ask About the Bible | Answers to Difficult Questions in the Bible

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  • When Does the New Testament Begin?

    When Does the New Testament Begin?

    The New Testament begins with the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ, but “when the New Testament begins” can mean a few different things depending on what you’re really asking. Are you asking where the New Testament sits in the order of the Bible, when the events it describes actually happened, or when the “new covenant” it describes came into effect? Each question has a clear, scripture-based answer.

    Where the New Testament Begins in the Bible

    In the order of the printed Bible, the New Testament begins immediately after the Old Testament ends, with the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew opens with the genealogy of Jesus: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). The Old Testament closes with the book of Malachi, which points forward to a coming messenger: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5). Between Malachi and Matthew, roughly 400 years pass with no new scripture written, a period often called the “silent years.” The New Testament then opens with the arrival of the one that Old Testament prophecy had been pointing toward all along.

    When the Events of the New Testament Actually Happened

    Historically, the New Testament’s story begins with the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, generally dated to around 6-4 BC, during the reign of Caesar Augustus. Paul describes the timing this way: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). The New Testament writings themselves, the four Gospels, the book of Acts, the letters, and Revelation, were written over the following several decades, mostly within the first century AD, by eyewitnesses and close associates of Jesus and His apostles.

    When the New Covenant Itself Began

    There’s a third, more theological way to ask this question: when did the “new covenant” that gives the New Testament its name actually take effect? Scripture points to the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, at the Last Supper, when He told His disciples, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The book of Hebrews explains why His death was the turning point: “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15). In that sense, the New Testament “begins” at the cross, where the new covenant it describes was established once for all.

    Key Bible Verses

    Matthew 1:1 – “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”

    Luke 22:20 – “Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’”

    Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why is there a gap between the Old and New Testaments?

    The roughly 400 years between Malachi and Matthew is often called the “intertestamental period” or “silent years” because no new scripture was written during that time. It was a real historical period, though, marked by significant events in Jewish history, and it ends with the New Testament picking up exactly where Old Testament prophecy left off.

    Does the New Testament replace the Old Testament?

    The New Testament fulfills and completes the story the Old Testament begins rather than erasing it. Jesus Himself said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Both Testaments together tell one continuous story.

    Related Bible Topics

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  • A City on a Hill | Matthew 5:14

    A City on a Hill | Matthew 5:14

    “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14, NKJV). A city on a hill isn’t trying to be visible, it simply is, by virtue of its position.

    That’s the picture Jesus paints of a genuine follower’s life. Not a forced, performative visibility, but a natural one that follows from actually being where you’ve been placed.

    This is worth noticing if you’ve been trying hard to hide a faith that this verse says shouldn’t need hiding in the first place.

    Where have you been dimming a light that, according to this verse, was never meant to be hidden to begin with?

  • Adultery of the Heart | Matthew 5:28

    Adultery of the Heart | Matthew 5:28

    “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28, NKJV). Jesus isn’t loosening the definition of adultery here, He’s widening our understanding of where sin actually begins. Not just in what we do, but in what we allow ourselves to dwell on.

    That’s harder than it sounds. It would be simpler if holiness were only about outward behavior, the things other people can see and judge. Jesus removes that hiding place. A person can technically keep every visible rule and still have a heart that’s far from Him.

    This isn’t meant to produce shame or a mental checklist of every wandering thought. It’s an honest invitation to notice patterns, what we dwell on, return to, or feed, and to bring those patterns to God rather than pretending they aren’t there.

    The point of this kind of conviction isn’t condemnation, it’s growth. Jesus is describing the depth of the problem so that we’ll seek the depth of the solution, a renewed heart, not just better behavior on the surface.

  • Let Your Yes Be Yes | Matthew 5:37

    Let Your Yes Be Yes | Matthew 5:37

    “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37, NKJV). Jesus is addressing a culture of elaborate oaths here, but the principle lands squarely on ordinary honesty.

    A simple yes or no should be trustworthy on its own, without needing an oath, a qualifier, or extra assurance to back it up.

    It’s worth noticing how often we add unnecessary layers to our word, promising extra, swearing sincerity, precisely because our plain word alone doesn’t feel trustworthy enough.

    Where has your own yes or no needed extra reinforcement lately, and what would it take to let your plain word simply be trustworthy on its own?

  • Turn the Other Cheek | Matthew 5:39

    Turn the Other Cheek | Matthew 5:39

    “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:39, NKJV). Few of Jesus’ teachings run more directly against instinct than this one. Retaliation feels justified, even necessary. Jesus asks for the opposite.

    This isn’t a call to accept ongoing abuse or stay in unsafe situations. It’s a challenge to the reflex of returning harm for harm, refusing to let an offender’s actions dictate our own.

    Turning the other cheek is an active choice, not passive weakness. It takes real strength to refuse retaliation when every instinct says to strike back.

    Where has an instinct for retaliation been quietly shaping your response to someone who’s wronged you, when this verse invites a different, harder path instead?

  • Blessed Are the Merciful | Matthew 5:7

    Blessed Are the Merciful | Matthew 5:7

    “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7, NKJV). This beatitude draws a direct line between showing mercy and receiving it. It’s not automatic or unconditional in the way we might prefer.

    Mercy here means withholding a deserved consequence, choosing compassion over what strict fairness would demand.

    That’s harder to extend than it sounds, especially toward someone who genuinely doesn’t deserve it. This verse doesn’t ask for mercy only toward the easy cases.

    Who in your life right now would benefit from mercy you’ve been withholding because, strictly speaking, they don’t deserve it?

  • The Salt of the Earth | Matthew 5:13

    The Salt of the Earth | Matthew 5:13

    “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” (Matthew 5:13, NKJV). Salt’s whole purpose is to be distinct from what it’s seasoning. Salt that tastes like everything around it has stopped doing its job.

    Jesus applies that image directly to His followers. The point isn’t blending in comfortably with the surrounding culture, it’s retaining a distinct flavor that actually changes what it touches.

    This is a pointed question for anyone whose life has quietly started tasting just like everything around it. What happened to the flavor?

    Where has your own distinctiveness been quietly diluting lately, blending in rather than actually seasoning what’s around you?